Gorakhpur Hospital Tragedy : 60 children die due to lack of oxygen supply

Sources claim that there was some problem in the oxygen supply line on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, creating a scare in the hospital. Media reports suggest the reason for the deaths is shortage of oxygen supply, which was cut off by the provider due to non-payment of money to the tune of Rs 66 lakh.

A statement shared by the office of state chief minister Yogi Adityanath, which has ordered the inquiry, said that all 60 deaths had occurred at the hospital's paediatric ward over a five-day period starting Monday.

What is even surprising is that Yogi had inaugurated a new ICU and Critical Care Unit at the same medical college cum hospital during his visit on August 9. But the supplier's bill of 67 lakh INR was not cleared.

Singh also said, "We came to know that between 7.30 pm to 10.05 pm, seven children had died, but there was no lack of supply of the gas".

"Total 30 deaths in last 48 hours". The rest had died from "delivery-related issues", he added.

Kafeel Khan, a hospital doctor, also said the cause of death was not lack of oxygen. "Requested suppliers not to disrupt supply". "Yes, 60 patients have died at the hospital in the last five days but we don't think it's linked to reports of oxygen shortage", said Anil Kumar, Gorakhpur's divisional commissioner.

The state's Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tondon had said that the government had dismissed the institute's principal, Rajiv Mishra, for his "negligent behaviour" in the Gorakhpur deaths case. Tondon further said,"3 deaths happened in Neonatal ICU, 2 due to acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) and 2 due to Non-AES today", reported ANI. What is baffling is that none of the major news networks were able to pick the story till former chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav retweeted the news pushed by an emerging digital network. He stressed on awareness and public participation for the success of the campaign that has been rolled out in 38 districts in the worst-affected eastern region of the state.

Some of the children had been treated for encephalitis, a disease that preys on the young and malnourished and is rampant in the state during the monsoon season, which runs from June till September.